Advent of the Blood Gems
by Bunny-Butler
Summary: Just what are the origins of the mysterious red gems that gave Ryoko the power equal to that of the Jurai royalty? Washu said they'd been in her family for generations, but she's been around for over 20,000 years. . .
1. To Start Us Off

**Advent of the Blood Gems**

**AN: **I don't own anything. This story is based on the one and only season of the Tenchi Muyo OVA. For my own reasons, I'm going to say that there are 4 gems in all, whether there were that many in the series or not. This is my first Tenchi Muyo fic, so be kind and helpful, if you will. I hope this is a long and fruitful association. Read and Enjoy!

A long time ago, on a far distant planet...

"Weddings are supposed to be happy occasions, Milady. This is no time to be having second thoughts!" Princess Amariah Vestwind, First Princess of the House of the Fallen Flame, Future Ruler of the Great Country of Windom and all She Purveys came very close to telling her beloved nursemaid to take a long walk off of a short cliff. Very close.

"I'm not having second thoughts, Gammy." Amariah waited for her nursemaid to return to preparing of the massive wedding gown before murmuring, "They're not 'second' thoughts if you never stopped having them." The union of Princess Amariah and Prince Craven Youngblood of the House of the Uprising Tides was said to be the match of the century. The Matriarchs of each house had declared their eldest offspring to be wed on the event of Amariah's eighteenth birthday. Was the unfortunate birthday girl the only one who realized that the royal couple would get along married just about as well as their titles suggested? House of the Fallen Flame and the Uprising Tide. Fire versus Water. If Amariah made Craven's temper steam, then he made her feel as if she was being smothered!

"Now don't you be brooding, Milady," said Gammy as she waddled over to help the princess into her corset. She gave a decidedly wicked chuckle that made Amariah glance up from her place standing before the vanity mirror. "Once you've had your wedding night, I'm sure things will not seem so bad. Exhale, Milady." With a stout jerk, she began to pull the laces in tight.

"What...ugh...are you-ooo...talking about," demanded the princess as she tried to breath despite the banding about her chest and middle. Her nursemaid gave another of those unsettling chuckles.

"Well, let us just say that, if what the dairymaids say is true, you are going to be a very happy woman, Milady." Amariah felt her eyes grow round, but Gammy just smiled and patted the now tied laces. "There. A beautiful waistline as ever created."

"Are you telling me that my betrothed has been free to sow his royal oats while I've been strapped into a damned chastity belt for the past six years?!"

"You finally got to take the device off this morning at least. Now, Milady, you know that a man cannot be held to the same standards...That's why the royal lines are traced through the mothers, why Queens rule instead of Kings."

"I don't care," shouted the princess as her face turned a horrific shade of red. "Do you realize how much _rust_ I had in my delicate region for the last six years?! _Rust_ for Flame's sake!" Gammy cringed as her charge sent a vase full of green Windom roses flying across the room to crash dangerously close to her wedding gown where it sat laid out on a couch. Before another missile could be launched, she ducked outside and motioned for the lone guardsman to her.

"Stay here and do not let the Princess leave. I'm going for the Doctor. He'll have some mood lighteners on hand." She went up on tiptoe to eye the guard. "Whatever you do, _Do Not Let Her Leave!"_ Another crash came from inside the room, this time sounding like something very large and heavy. The nursemaid left in a sprint. The guard, eyes wide, watched her leave before turning to face the suddenly silent room behind him.

Amariah had changed into a loose linen shirt, a pair of breeches she'd bribed from a stable boy, and her traveling cloak. The damned corset and the damned wedding dress were both buried underneath the armoire she'd tipped over a few moments ago. She dropped to her hands and knees to reach beneath her massive bed and fished out the traveling packs she'd hidden there just that morning. It was only when she heard the door opening behind her that she realized what a site she must present with her tightly fitting breeches and her arse waving in the air.

"Well, Milady," laughed a deep voice, "that was some show you put on. I must say, I've never seen your Gammy move that fast in my life. What did you do? Threaten her with a knife?" Amariah slowly stood and turned to face her visitor. The face of her best friend stared back at her from beneath his guardsman's disguise.

"I threw some roses and she decided to run for the Doctor," she said innocently. The guardsman smiled and toed the remains of her dress where it stuck out from beneath the armoire. His eyes glittered as he looked back at her.

"Uh-huh. I heard the part about the rust, my dear." He chuckled. "Your _delicate region?_" Amariah tried to suppress her grin as she moved to put her packs on her back. Together they moved to the hall where the guardsman looked out to make sure no one had come after him. Amariah made to follow him, but just outside he paused and turned to look back at her. Something gentle moved in his features.

"Are you sure about this? We still have time to repair the situation. We can still be wed today." Amariah sighed and smiled before she quickly hugged her best friend.

"Craven, my dear, we'd kill each other as man and wife. I'd rather take to the stars with my most trusted friend than stay tied to a throne with my hated spouse." The crown prince of the House of the Uprising Tides sighed and nodded.

"You know I hate it when you're right." Both smiled.

"Let's go and be Space Pirates, just like the fairy tales."

"As my Lady wishes."

**AN:** How's that for a first chapter? It may take a while, but I will build the connection to Tenchi Muyo, never fear! I'll take help where I can get it, so please review and let me know if I'm too wordy or if I could tighten up the plot some. Thanks a bunch!


	2. Royal Space Pirates?

**AN:** Gee, people. Don't overwhelm me with your enthusiasm...Sorry. It's hard not to be bitter with such little response. Eats a pound of chocolate. Ahh. That's better. On with the next chapter! Even if you hate it, please let me know that you looked over my pathetic attempt. :)

**Chapter Two: Royal Space Pirates?**

Two years later...

Aurora Station was the bustling hub of the Freon Galaxy's free trade system. Merchants from hundreds of systems brought their wares to sell, tourists with credits to burn came searching for the ultimate conversations pieces, and thieves came to help both of the former lighten their loads. A very special brand of thieves roamed the space around the station. Like sharks cruising for overstuffed fish, the pirates waited patiently in the dark.

"Oooh! What about that one! No, how about that one!" Maybe not so patiently...but they were definitely out there, and today the catch had been excellent. A single manta ray-like ship of polished onyx-colored alloy bounced in and around a small asteroid field. To any watchers, if there were any, it seemed that either a genius or a madman was at the controls. The ship executed one last physics defying barrel roll to barely miss a massive world killing asteroid before coming to a complete rest in the monster's dead zone where incoming sensor sweeps would be rendered useless. It seemed a genius was at the helm after all.

Amariah squealed as she leapt up from the pilot's chair, startling Craven from the half-faint he had been in since the beginning of her go at the controls. He glanced out of the view screens and felt his innards turn icy. "Ria, dear? Did you mean to put us so close that asteroid?"

"Asteroid?" she deadpanned. Amariah pranced out of the cockpit before Craven could tell if she was joking or not. Not that he could blame her for her excitement. While two larger ships had been fighting over possession for a smaller, disabled ship in had swept the _Tide of Flames_ to steal the prize before either of the fighters realized what had happened. The pirate ship had had just enough room in its cargo hold to scoop up the smaller ship inside before making the leap to hyper space. Now was the time to discover just what sort of booty they had collected.

Inside the cargo hold, Amariah stood still for a moment to examine the unique structure of the mysterious ship. If she wasn't mistaken, it seemed to be made from...solid wood. If one suspended the disbelief that wood could be a space faring material, then the next obstacle was that the wood was completely seamless. It was like the ship was carved from a single piece of wood. Where in the Universe did trees, assuming it was from a tree, grow that big?

Craven joined his shipmate and tossed her Safe Suit over. "Let's hope there are no nasty surprises onboard, but better safe than sorry." Amariah sighed and rolled her eyes, but did as he said. He was the tactician of their little operation and his foresight had saved both of their hides more than once.

"No face-sucking parasites for me, thanks."

"Didn't you date one on Corinth once?"

"Yeah, but he paid for the _Tide's_ new paint job."

"True." Their banter kept up until they'd both donned their suits and reached the captive ship's bay doors. A simple message written in three languages was burned into the wood of the doors. The last two languages they could understand, but the first was totally beyond their comprehension and they prided themselves on the fact that between the two of them, there were few languages that they couldn't at least guess at their meanings.

"Craven, just what is _Jurai_?"

**AN: **Sorry for the short chapter. Review and the next one will be that much faster in coming. I'd really like to know if this is a good idea or not. Help me out, if you will. Until later!


	3. Ship of Ghosts?

**AN:** Hola! Thank you, Bookstick and beatlechix, for your reviews. It's worth writing for your comments. Hope you enjoy this update!

**Chapter Three: Ship of Ghosts?**

With a little persuasion from Craven's fingertips in the form of a controlled beam of blue-green energy, the airlock slide silently open to reveal the powerless ship's inky black innards. "Air's clean and...get this, one hundred percent pure," said Amariah as she looked at the readout on her Safe Suit's wrist piece.

"One hundred? Man, I'd like to see their hydroponics rig. I can barely coax the _Tide's_ into the ninety-seven percentile." Craven flipped on his suit's lights and headed into the darkness, but with the radio system between suits, it sounded to Amariah that he was right beside her. That was good because the moment she'd crossed the threshold her inner senses had begun to quiver with a strange expectance and she suddenly didn't want to be alone onboard this seemingly deserted ship. If her arm weren't hidden by her bulky suit, she'd had seen rather than just felt the hair rising on it.

"Ria, over here," Craven's tensed whisper came over the radio. Up ahead, he was standing to the side of an opening in the hall waving to her. A faint glowing from further inside the ship made it possible to see Craven, she realized. _What's the glowing coming from?_ Rather than waste time walking, Amariah concentrated and 'phased' over to stand directly behind her partner. In the split second it took her to shift her body through space, Craven had returned to peering around the corner to stare at what ever had caught his attention in the first place. When he turned back to check her progress over, he nearly leap into the air when he realized that she was just behind him.

"Wish you made some noise when you decide to do that...trick. Damn near pissed myself," he whispered.

"Good thing the suit's got a waste disposal tube then, eh?" Craven shook his head at her cheeky grin when he thought back to how hysterical she'd been when they'd both realized that their parents had been using a subtle system of chemicals and controlled exposure to certain waves of energy to suppress their heirs' natural abilities to manipulate certain elements of physics. Amariah had been the first to notice this when she'd phased halfway through her berth onboard the _Tide of Flames_. It would have been humorous had she not panicked and drawn Craven into the hanging bed as well. It had taken nearly an hour before he'd gotten her calm enough to work them both out of the physics defying display. After nearly two years of living with the new powers as they developed out of their lifetime of suppression and Craven was amazed at how far they'd come from the scared silly children they'd started out as. It was Amariah's loud gasp as she twisted around him to see what he'd wanted to show her that snapped Craven out of his woolgathering.

"Flames preserve us. What is that?!" Though she spoke with intensity, the sight before her made voice come out in a harsh whisper.

"I think we've found our mysterious Jurai or at least something from it." The hallway had turned to open into a medium sized chamber that had been created with such architecture as to support what resembled _windows_ rather than the simple blocky viewing screens of the _Tide of Flames_. The windows were darkened now, but in set out in space, the ship would be a cathedral to the stars! Artistry combined with ship design was impressive, but that was not what had grabbed the two entrepreneurs' undivided attention. It was the massive tree with threads of light beaming in and out of it that did that.

**AN: **Okay, so you think I'm a sadistic, evil person with a taste for cliffhangers. Bwa-ha-ha! No, actually I have to make my chapters short and make them with cliffhangers to keep my interest up. Not sadistic, just attention-span deficient. This chapter was brought to you care of the Super Mario Brothers' Movie Theme Music. It's killer. Think Nintendo with a full orchestra. Happy Days, Folks. The more reviews, the faster I update! Later!


	4. Laughing Tree?

**AN:** Whoo-hoo! Another chapter up and ready for consumption. Thank you to those who have reviewed and here's to those who will follow! On with the update!

**Chapter 4: Laughing Tree?**

"It's beautiful­— ah!" Amariah drifted among the giant tree's branches and she giggled when the light beams seemed to sing in appreciation of her remark. "I think she heard me, Craven."

"Do you realize that you just called the tree a 'she'? Any reason why," he asked from his observation point among the massive root system. Amariah glanced downwards at Craven and noticed that he'd brought his laptop out of his Suit's pack and was trying to scan the tree's mysterious energy emissions. She thought about his question for a moment before answering. Floating upside down sometimes helped her think clearly, so she easily reversed herself in the air. Flying seemed to be her favorite ability so far.

"You know, I'm not sure why I think of her as female, but there's just some kind of maternal aura about her. It's like her limbs were meant to cradle and her leaves to protect..." A half-muffled sound brought Amariah from her musings. Looking down the tree, she saw Craven trying very hard not to let his laughter escape. By the way his face was changing from its normal ruddy brown to a deep cherry color; Craven was going to have an aneurism before that happened. "Oh, just let it out, man," she snapped. When he did let the laughing jag loose, Amariah had to smile despite the fact that he was laughing at her. As Crown Prince of the House of the Uprising Tides, the poor guy had been harassed since childhood to have perfect decorum and to never show more emotion than a statue. Being his perfect opposite having been raised in the House of the Fallen Flame where wild emotions ran riot, Amariah was glad to see that his emotional crippling wasn't going to be permanent. Hell, after two years trapped with anyone from the Fallen Flame, one was either part of the fun or a raving lunatic.

Amariah realized that the lights from within the tree were suddenly brighter and beaming down in quicker bursts. With Craven's laughter still rolling, Amariah was shocked to realize that the tree was _laughing right along with him!_ Great Flames, what had they discovered?

"What are you doing to Tsunami," demanded a frightened-but-trying-to-sound-brave voice. Both Craven and Amariah whipped around to stare at the small pink haired child that had emerged from nowhere to stand in the middle of the great cathedral. For a moment, Craven thought that the child was female because of its high pitched voice and long hair, but there was a small knot on the throat that revealed him to be a pre-adolescent male.

"Her name is Tsunami?" The child started because he hadn't seen Amariah floating upside-down among the great tree's branches. The female space pirate phased out and landed right-side up beside her partner. The boy's eyes widened to the size of saucers and he took a few steps backwards. Tsunami the tree beamed a few musical streams of light and the boy cocked his head to the side as if he could understand her. Apparently he could because what ever she said made him relax and smile.

"She says that you are worthy beings. I am Prince Ryoshu, the third son of the Grand King of the Planet Jurai." The introduction sounded like one he'd been taught from his crib. It was the same way Craven and Amariah had once had to rattle off their own titles. Ryoshu still blushed when he had to say the bit about being the third son. Craven suddenly knew that he was going to like the kid.

"You can call me Craven, and this is my partner Amariah," he said as he crossed the floor to shake hands. "It's nice that your tree was willing to vouch for us."

"I always trust Tsunami, even when she kidnapped me and brought me out here to meet you."

"Do what?"

"Well, she didn't say you specifically, but she said that the Guardians would meet us before we got into any real trouble." Craven turned back to look at Amariah. She had a weird expression on her face, but shook her head in confusion. Just what had they stumbled into?

**AN:** Are you beginning to see the connection here? Perhaps Washu's line has a far off connection...I won't ruin more of my surprise. You'll just have to read and review to get more! Hope you all are enjoying it. ï Later!


	5. What, Strang Hair?

**AN: **Happy Days, folks! Thank you for your reviews, I'll try to make this story worthy of them! Let's cut the chit-chat and get down to it then.

**Chapter 5: What, Strange Hair?**

Everyone agreed that explanations should be given, but Ryoshu asked his 'rescuers' to remove their Safe Suits before they talked anymore. "Juraians prefer technology that utilizes the natural/organic aspects of the universe. Speaking to two people wrapped in plastic and metal make me kind of queasy," he explained. It wasn't a difficult decision for Amariah and Craven to make considering that they'd been sealed in their uncomfortable Suits for longer than they'd have liked and that their scans had produced nothing harmful in the ship's atmosphere. It was a relief when Amariah cracked the seal that held her helmet in place and cool, fresh air rushed in to caress her face. She bent over to sling her hair free from the helmet and Ryoshu gasped.

"What is it," she asked not unkindly. The boy, he couldn't have been more than twelve, blushed and grimaced with embarrassment.

"Sorry...it's just that I've never anybody with hair like that before."

"Said the boy with girlishly long, pink hair..." muttered Craven under his breath. Amariah whacked him on the arm and looked to see if the boy had heard the small joke. Obviously, by the way his blush had turned from light pink to deep rose, he had.

"Don't sweat it, Ryo," she grinned at the boy before she made an overdramatic fluffing movement with her hair. It fell in a spiky cascade of blazing oranges and reds down to a point just past her knees and despite her willy-nilly movements, it stayed in relatively the same shape. "Few people outside of the tiny country of Windom on a planet far, far away have ever laid eyes upon hair like mine. The stylists who've tried to recreate it have dubbed my unique style, 'The Falling Flame.' Not really original, but then, they were trying to copy something anyway."

"If you think Amariah's was surprising, get a load of mine." Craven's hair had been the envy of all of the Court ladies in both of their Kingdoms. Like water, his deep blue, wavy hair flowed down to just past his shoulders, where it sparkled despite the ship's dim lighting.

"Wow," Ryoshu enthused. "Jurai has _never_ had people with hair like yours!" Amariah was slightly shocked to see the kid's eyes tear up a little.

"What's wrong, Ryo?" The young boy wiped at his eyes and tried to make light of his reaction.

"Oh, it's nothing," he laughed. "It's just nice to know that Tsunami wasn't just trying to make me feel better when she said that Jurai was only a tiny part of the Universe, and that people who thought that hair should be limited to straightened purple, teal, or black were just small minded." Amariah surprised everyone when she leaned over and hugged the young prince. When she let him go, Ryoshu was again blushing, but he didn't look unhappy at all. "Why'd you do that?" Craven shared a look with his friend and answered for her with what they both felt.

"That was because it seems that despite the Universe being huge, some things will remain the same."

"Huh?" The two pirates just smiled and finished removing their Suits. Ryoshu darted out of Tsunami's cathedral, but quickly returned with some cushions to sit on.

"Thanks, Ryo!"

"I like that, Amariah. The way you shorten my name, I mean." They shared a smile before flopping onto the cushions among Tsunami's roots. The tree herself beamed a message at Ryoshu which he quickly translated for his two new friends.

"Tsunami says that she's going to tell you our story herself and that you should try to relax."

"Wha-" Craven had no more time speak before his vision went completely dark.

**AN: **Yay! Another chapter completed. Remember for the next chapter that this is way before Sasami and Tsunami melded. Stick around for the next one for sure!


	6. Craven's Version

**AN:** Sorry I'm late with my update. I admit to having a bit of a writer's block, but I've learned from past experience that the best cure is to tackle the story and go where it takes me. Forgive me if this attempt muddies the water for a bit. Enjoy!

**Chapter 6: Craven's Version**

_I'm dead_. That was the only rational explanation Craven could come up with when he awoke to find himself floating in an endless ocean of stars. He'd blinked in surprise only to find that he could see through his eyelids. _The Tide of Flames was attacked, there was a rapid decompression and I got sucked out into the Abyss._ But that didn't make sense as his memories began to flood back. They, Amariah, the prince Ryoshu, and himself, had been onboard the ship that had held Tsunami. The tree had said it was going to show them something and then ...A light flared within the field of stars and Craven felt a presence swirl about him in the vague darkness.

_Who are you?_ The presence projected welcome and reassurance.

_I am Tsunami. _

_The tree? How? Why?_ The formless being laughed inside the darkness. Not that Craven 'heard' this. More like he felt the emotion smooth through his being and lighten his soul.

_Do not ask questions whose answers you _know_ will make your head hurt. _For a moment Craven could have sworn that his mother had finally caught him and was now here to lecture him. _I am old enough to be your grandmother, boy. Show some respect._ He finally realized that, yes; trees can have senses of humor.

_Where's Amariah?_

_I'm talking to her as we speak. I love to multi-task. _This conversation was getting weirder by the minute, but Craven decided that to comment would not help. Tsunami was okay for an immaterial being, but one more push would send Craven's sanity over the edge. As if sensing this, his companion in the dark began her tale.

_We, the Royal Trees of Jurai, are the protectors of a race of beings whose genetics make them capable of generating a form of energy that can manipulate the very fabric of time and space. This energy has since been named the 'Wings of the Light Hawke.' _If Craven had been able to drop his jaw in surprise, he would have. _ We have not always been the protectors, but a millennia ago we took up the responsibility in order to save the Universe from those who would have dominated the poor creatures the modern people of Jurai have evolved from. By binding ourselves to the strongest manipulators of the energy, those who can summon the Light Hawke Wings, we trees can keep outside forces form taking control and corrupting this energy. _Tsunami screened pictures within Craven's brain of the Jurai royalty using the Wings of the Light Hawke and his sense of awe was overwhelming. A single flash and a tri-folded energy umbrella wiped out an entire armada of enemies of the Jurai.

_Why are you showing me this? _

_I need you to understand why you must help me. _The images continued each coming faster than the last until Craven would have cried out from the barrage of destruction he was being forced to witness. It seemed that for every enemy the Jurai struck down, ten more sprang into place to attack the tiny planet.

_What can I do?_

_When the Trees interfered, we created an imbalance. I need you to help me recreate what was lost. We must create a force that is capable of drawing attention away from the Jurians, effectively removing their 'unique' appeal to those who crave their power._ Craven felt his sense of humor move within him. A wry note tinged his mind's response.

_You want us to create a decoy in other words._

_Exactly._

**AN: **I hope my explanation isn't too wordy. Let me know what you think. I'll try to have the next update up by next Friday. Later!


	7. Amariah's Version

**AN:** Forgive my tardy update. My only excuse is that I've been assigned a ten page Baroque Art research paper that must be finished before I leave for Thanksgiving. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Enjoy!

**Chapter 7: Amariah's Version**

Warmth and light. Amariah had been swallowed by a star and all that she could understand were the sensations of warmth and light. Not bad, considering she should have been writhing in pain as her body was roasted like a pig on a spit. The light seemed to lessen, for lack of a better description, and a faceless body, female by the slightly curved anatomical signs, formed from the dimmer light.

_I welcome you, kin of my line. I have waited over a thousand years for your return._ Amariah felt something within her heart ring as if some distant bell had been struck.

_Tsunami? _The woman of light laughed and Amariah sighed as the star's flames leapt higher around her.

_Yes, Princess of the House of the Fallen Flame. Has no one ever questioned why your ancestors chose to call themselves that? My, who'd have thought that anyone from my line could have been born without a wild sense of curiosity?_ Tsunami's mental voice was infused with self-depreciating humor and for some strange reason, Amariah wanted to defend the tree-woman from her own doubts.

_Curiosity was there, but asking the wrong questions in court could get one killed. One learns early in my House that curiosity is a luxury we have to deny ourselves if we want to survive._ Tsunami nodded as if she too knew what life in a royal court could be like. The being of light sighed and came to stand beside where Amariah felt her body would be if she'd been able to see it. Being merely a consciousness could mess with one's self-concept if examined too closely, so Amariah forced herself to concentrate on the living essence of the Tree.

_For the sake of clarity, I'm going to compress over one thousand years of history into a considerably smaller package. _With a wave of her hand, the flames before them parted and Tsunami gestured towards a scene that sprang up from the black that was left behind. A small, lonely blue-green planet swirled in a tiny solar system that could have fit into Amariah's palm. As she spoke, her narration was animated across the view. _We, the Royal Trees of Jurai, are the protectors of a race of beings whose genetics make them capable of generating a form of energy that can manipulate the very fabric of time and space. This energy has since been named the 'Wings of the Light Hawke.' _Was it just Amariah or did it sound like Tsunami was repeating something she'd said many times before? In fact, Tsunami seemed to be speeding up in order to get to the better part of her speech. Amariah absorbed the fact that the trees were the protectors of the Jurian Royal line, reminding her of Ryoshu, but so far, the explanation didn't include why Tsunami had found Amariah fit to be called kinswoman._ I'm getting to that._ Tsunami sounded a bit like Craven when Amariah had tested his patience about something. She wondered where Craven was at that moment...

_Are you paying attention? I swear, only someone from my line would have the gall to tune out mind-to-mind communication._ Tsunami didn't sound too put out. In fact, there was a hint of pride somewhere within her voice. _Your great-great-great- you get the point, grandmother was the founder of the House of the Fallen Flame. One thousand years ago, there was a great war between the Royal House of Jurai and a great demon race who shall not be named because to name them invokes their power. All of the Trees allied with the Jurians were sent to the front lines, that's how close we came to being turned to slaves by the Nameless Ones. _A softness entered Tsunami's mind voice. _My son, a newly bonded fighting Tree Ship, was one of the first to carry his royal Jurian into the fray. Both fought bravely, but being so young, only two hundred years old, he met his betters and was forced to flee the galaxy with the enemies in hot pursuit. Injured, his Prince already dead within him, my son crashed upon a small backwater planet where no one, enemy nor family could ever hope to find him. _Amariah watched as Tsunami's body of light dimmed even further. Had she had hands to do so, Amariah would have comforted the mother who'd lost her child so long ago and yet still felt the loss fresh today.

_Through a twist of Fate, my son's burning wreckage fell through the sky to land upon a young princess of the land's entourage. The princess, on her way to her betrothal feast, stumbled from the flaming debris of what was left by the meeting of my son and her carriage to be greeted by a man made of pure energy. The being helped her stand straight and kissed her tenderly before shattering into a million sparks. My son was never one to lack  showmanship. The princess's rescuers found her unharmed by the flames and called it a miracle because forever more, the Queen's hair was that of Flames entrapped and she manifested powers unknown to the land. Nine months after the Falling of the Flame, the new Queen gave birth to what everyone assumed to be the child of her chosen Consort. My son, Tenchi, had fathered a replica of his memories in the form of a child upon your ancestor in the hopes that someday, his memories imbedded in the flesh of his offspring would someday find themselves among the stars where his family could find them and finally know his fate._ Now that was something to tell her grandbabies about someday, Amariah mused, half in shock about her family's origins.

_So my great-whatever was a tree? That's fricking cool._ Tsunami chuckled at her kinswoman's unbeatable optimism.

_I had hoped that you would see it that way. Because now, flesh of my flesh, you must help me create something that has never been made before or else the Universe will be thrown so far out of balance, time as we know it will be stopped. _

_A bit dramatic, you think?_

_I, like my son, do love a good bit of showmanship_ the Tree woman confessed.

_Then, by all means, enjoy yourself._

_Thank you, I will. If you'll let me continue. _Amariah remained silent, but she fairly radiated with unspent laughter. _It's time to do your duty, Amariah. How do you feel about babies?_

_Do what?!_

**AN:** So how was that for an update? Sorry for the lateness, but I hope that I made up for. Later!


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